< Jona 3 >
1 Mgbe ahụ, okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru Jona ntị nke ugboro abụọ na-asị,
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
2 “Bilie, jee nʼobodo ukwu ahụ bụ Ninive, kwusaara ya ozi ahụ m ziri gị.”
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.”
3 Jona biliri gaa Ninive dịka okwu nke Onyenwe anyị si dị. Ninive bụ nnọọ obodo dị ukwuu, nke ga-ewe ụbọchị atọ ịga ya gburugburu.
This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.
4 Jona malitere ịba nʼobodo ahụ, ma mgbe ọ gara ije otu ụbọchị, o kwusara sị, “Iri ụbọchị anọ ka ọ fọdụrụ tupu alaa Ninive nʼiyi.”
On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
5 Ndị Ninive kwenyeere na Chineke, kpọsaa obubu ọnụ, ha niile site nʼonye ukwu ruo nʼonye nta, onye ọbụla yikwasịrị uwe mkpe.
And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.
6 Mgbe akụkọ a rutere eze Ninive ntị, o sitere nʼocheeze ya rituo, wezuga uwe eze ya, yikwasị uwe mkpe, nọkwasịkwa na ntụ.
When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 Nke a bụ nkwusa ya nʼime Ninive: Nke a bụ iwu sitere nʼaka eze na ndị a maara aha ha: “Ka mmadụ ọbụla, maọbụ anụmanụ, igwe ehi maọbụ anụ ụlọ ọbụla, ghara idetu ihe ọbụla nʼọnụ, ka ha ghara iri ihe maọbụ ṅụọ mmiri.
Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.
8 Kama ka onye ọbụla yiri akwa mkpe, ma mmadụ ma anụmanụ, ka ha kpọkusikwaa Chineke ike, ka ha sikwa nʼụzọ ọjọọ ha chegharịa, sikwa nʼọrụ ọjọọ ha na ime ihe ike ha niile chegharịa.
Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
9 Onye maara? Ma eleghị anya, Chineke ga-ejide oke iwe ya, ma site nʼọmịiko ya wezuga iwe ọkụ ya si otu a mee ka anyị ghara ịla nʼiyi.”
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
10 Mgbe Chineke hụrụ ihe niile ha mere, na otu ha siri site nʼụzọ ọjọọ ha niile chegharịa, Chineke chegharịrị uche banyere ịla ha nʼiyi. O mekwaghị ka nzube ya ibibi obodo ahụ mezuo.
When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.